"I wanted to end on a good and reasonably priced note," wrote Sitek in an email. "Our rent tripled in a year's time. The landlord was planning on knocking the building down to clear the lot for a skyscraper, but the economy prevented that from happening. They offered to extend the lease for another year but, by that point, I had made peace with the idea of closing. I far exceeded my expectations in that building and I feel like it's time to do something different."

The closing is yet another symbolic marker of the Williamsburg gentrification that has forced many artists to retreat to nearby neighborhoods like Greenpoint and Bushwick in recent years. Even in the studio's brief history, its surrounding area has evolved from a well-to-do hipster enclave to a condo-infested hot spot for well-to-do families. "There are more strollers, cops on every corner, and about 16 more Thai restaurants now," wrote Sitek. "The price of Williamsburg really pushed out a lot of talented people."

But the producer isn't bitter. In fact, he's figured out a way to take a little bit of the studio with him. "The tracking room in that place is pretty spectacular," he wrote, "so we're sampling it with test tones to make a reverb based on it."

Sitek doesn't have his eyes on a new studio yet. He's currently "winging it" on several projects, including one with Philadelphia hip-hop futurist Jneiro Jarel. But, as he closes up shop, he had a parting message: "To whoever left the Speak & Spells, they're still here. And Tunde, I think I found your sunglasses."